324 TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



the head of a modelling-pin, laying the two upper ones face 

 downwards and modelling the back, and the three lower ones upon 

 their back and modelling their front surface, the lower centre 

 petal, it will be seen, requiring to be of a deeply concave form. 



Next take about four inches of fine wire ; turn over the end 

 as usual, and wind around the tip a narrow strip of the palest 

 green wax, folded under at the bottom edge, to form a small 

 finely-pointed knob (Fig. 4) — i.e. the stigma — of which the 

 extreme point must be tipped with cadmium orange (dry). 

 Take a small strip of cream-coloured fabric about a quarter 

 of an inch in width ; thicken one edge by folding over ; cut 

 very finely five stamens, the thickened edge representing the 

 anthers, and arrange these half-way around the stigma. Outside 

 the stamens fix the two upper petals ; in exact opposition to 

 these place petal No. 2, and, on each side of this, one of the 

 remaining two. The stem must next be made by covering the 

 wire, as far down as where the bracts appear in the natural 

 stem, thinly and evenly with a narrow strip of light green wax 

 or fabric, then cut and fix the pair of bracts, and complete the 

 stem, which must be curved into the natural form. 



It will now be seen that another part of the flower has still 

 to be made, namely, the spur of the lower petal. Cut, there- 

 fore, a short half-inch strip of white fabric, fold over about one- 

 third of the width, and roll sufficient at one end to form an 

 object somewhat resembling an apple-pip in shape. Colour this 

 spur, the stem, and the fabric side of the calyx with permanent 

 violet, alizarin, and blue, and affix the spur with its point 

 extending underneath the lower centre petal. Hollow each 

 sepal of the calyx by rolling the wax surface with a small 

 modelling-pin ; compress the " neck " slightly by pressing it 

 upon the finger with the pin itself, laying the pin across the 

 calyx on the outside; attach the calyx around the upper 

 portion of the flower, and the violet is complete. 



